Although weather forecasts have improved steadily over recent decades, the prediction models on which those forecasts are based are limited by a lack of wind measurements over many parts of the globe. Large uncertainties remain in three-dimensional wind data over the oceans, the Southern Hemisphere, and polar and tropical regions. Improved three-dimensional wind data throughout the troposphere (the lowest 8 to 16 kilometers of the atmosphere) would yield concrete benefits, including better day-to-day weather forecasts as well as improved forecasts of hurricane track and intensity, El Niño and La Niña, and the transport of air pollutants.

3D-Winds will measure the tropospheric wind fields using two complementary Doppler wind lidars: one in the near-infrared range, well suited for measuring winds in the presence of dust, pollution, or other airborne particles, and the other in the ultraviolet range, detecting molecular-scale Doppler shifts in order to measure winds in air that is relatively pristine. Together, the system will be able to collect wind data across most tropospheric and stratospheric conditions.

Given the complexity of the hybrid system proposed for 3D-Winds, the committee recommends an early research program to address high-risk components, followed by design, construction, and testing of a prototype, which could be demonstrated in low Earth orbit as early as 2016.

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earth Science and applicatiOnS frOm Space
3D-WINDS THREE-DIMENSIONAL TROPOSPHERIC WINDS
LAUNCH: 2016–2020 MISSION SIZE: Large
ORBIT: Leo, sso AGENCY: nasa
ESTIMATED COST: $ 650 million
(stage i demonstration)
AREAS OF INTEREST: Water, Weather
INSTRUMENTS: Doppler lidar
BENEFITS:
more accurate, longer-term weather forecasts
improved storm track prediction and
evacuation planning
improved planting and harvesting schedules
and outlooks
although weather forecasts have improved steadily
over recent decades, the prediction models on which
those forecasts are based are limited by a lack of wind
measurements over many parts of the globe. Large
uncertainties remain in three-dimensional wind data
over the oceans, the southern hemisphere, and polar
and tropical regions. improved three-dimensional wind
data throughout the troposphere (the lowest 8 to 16 kilo -
meters of the atmosphere) would yield concrete benefits,
including better day-to-day weather forecasts as well as
improved forecasts of hurricane track and intensity, el niño
and La niña, and the transport of air pollutants.
3D-Winds will measure the tropospheric wind fields using two
complementary Doppler wind lidars: one in the near-infrared range,
well suited for measuring winds in the presence of dust, pollution, or other
airborne particles, and the other in the ultraviolet range, detecting molecular-
scale Doppler shifts in order to measure
winds in air that is relatively pristine. together, the
system will be able to collect wind data across
most tropospheric and stratospheric conditions.
Given the complexity of the hybrid system
proposed for 3D-Winds, the committee rec-
ommends an early research program to
address high-risk components, followed by
design, construction, and testing of a pro-
totype, which could be demonstrated in
low earth orbit as early as 2016.

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